Dos Sorpresas (Two Surprises)

“I have a big surprise for you,” Ricardo said in Spanish with a gleam in his eyes.”

He explained, after our SixSeeds group had come and helped the two previous summers, his Mexican community had rallied together and done something that would make us happy.  He was excited and it was a message that brought joy to my heart and energy to my weary body. 

Earlier that day, my alarm chirped at 4:15AM and though I woke with a start, I felt as if I hadn’t slept. We had a half hour to get eight people up and into our awaiting airport van.  I jumped into the shower and under the hot spray, prayed for smooth wake-ups and a quick departure.

After our twenty bags, two computers and DVD player were safely stowed, we took off in darkness, miraculously on time.

When we arrived at our hotel in Tijuana, fifteen hours had passed and we had gathered four more families, two team leaders, and a photographer and his girlfriend.  After meeting with Ricardo, I was thrilled to retreat to my hotel room where I fell asleep on a mattress no softer than the hotel’s floor.

Ricardo’s surprise was on my mind as I drifted to sleep, but I didn’t want to anticipate too big a thing.   It was just two years before, on our first family service trip, where we found their school in utter disrepair.  The buildings were all made from scrap wood and cardboard and the classrooms filled with rusted desks and chairs, dirtied with trash, food and excrement.  No books, writing utensils, paper or scissors were in sight. 

The first summer we worked hard cleaning, painting and planting while the community watched our motley American group with great curiosity.  They were kind, fed us well and the kids played soccer with us, but the adults didn’t dare enter too far into our circle.  So while I hoped for the best about this surprise, I also tried not to get my hopes up.   This poor squatter community of Las Palmas had a multitude of barriers to overcome.  I was slightly afraid our concepts of “great surprise” might not translate equally.

After our bumpy morning trek down to the canyon where the Las Palmas community lives, we were greeted with friendly “holas” and big warm hugs.  We immediately set down to work.  Glass was removed from the earth with a sieve, trash cleared, desks and chairs scrubbed, school floors mopped and concrete mixed for the play yard.

Ezra (four years old and on his third trip to Las Palmas), stacked a tiny pile of wood debris and oh so carefully balanced it to the woodpile, stopping four times to pick up the toppled pieces.  All the while, he sang his own happy song...about wood.  Hannah (a nine year old on her first trip) introduced herself confidently, “Me llamo Hannah” to children working with her.  Mexican kids took the hand of newcomer Ellie-Kate (four years old) and put her in the food line ahead of themselves.  As usual, the children connected effortlessly as they moved between work and play.

My job was to lead the planting of the arboles, the trees, along the edge of the play yard.  The dry claylike soil was full of rocks and therefore difficult to dig.   After completing three holes and feeling hot and thirsty, I took a break in the shadiest and coolest spot around, which last year was the hottest spot around - inside the great surprise Ricardo had mysteriously spoken about the evening before.  A brand new cinder block school building now stood in the place of the old dilapidated wood and cardboard structure.  I stood inside the strong thick walls while a perfect breeze blew through.  It was spacious and solid and put together block by block with great love by the community - and they told us we were their inspiration!

Kathryn, our wise and fearless leader, who so patiently helps us organize these trips said, “the first time you come, you show you’re interested, the second time you come, you show you care, the third time you come, you show you love.”

As I gazed out into the yard I saw parents and children, Mexican and American, working contentedly side-by-side.  The trust had grown by this third trip and what Kathryn said was true.  I watched the activity with much love in my heart.  However, there was one more surprise.

They loved us back.